HANOVER, N.H. — Dartmouth College banned hard liquor on campus Thursday and said all students will have to take part in a sexual violence prevention program all four years they are at the Ivy League school.

Dartmouth has long tried to move past its hard-partying reputation, but the latest steps come amid a national furor over sexual assault on college campuses and the role drinking plays in such violence.

Said President Philip Hanlon: “We are not alone in facing (these issues), but we will take the lead in saying, ‘No more.’ “

Other colleges, including Colby, Bates and Bowdoin in Maine, have banned hard liquor on campus. Dartmouth officials said the school will be the first in the Ivy League to take such a step, and the first college or university aside from military academies to require four-year sexual violence prevention education.

Many colleges require students to take part in one-time programs, almost always during their freshman year.

Dartmouth received nationwide attention for allegations of fraternity hazing several years ago, and it is one of 95 schools under federal investigation over its handling of sexual harassment and violence. Students protested at Hanlon’s office last spring with a long list of demands aimed at creating a more inclusive, diverse campus.

The plan Hanlon presented Thursday was the product of the Moving Dartmouth Forward committee created in April to study problems the president said were “hijacking” the school’s promise: high-risk drinking, sexual assault and a lack of inclusion.

In addition to banning hard liquor starting with the new term at the end of March and implementing the sexual violence prevention program, the plan ends pledge or probationary periods for all student groups and creates new residential communities.

Sexual assault on college campuses has been in the spotlight as students and the federal government demand stricter policies and stronger enforcement.

Dartmouth recently overhauled its policies to include harsher sanctions and a trained external expert to investigate allegations. It will expand on that with the new mandatory program and an online “consent manual” on sexual behavior.

On the alcohol front, Hanlon said education programs launched in the past few years have started to pay off, but the practice of “pregaming” – loading up on hard alcohol before heading out for the night – remains a problem.

In addition to prohibiting the possession or consumption of hard alcohol – 30 proof or higher – by students, the new policy includes increased penalties for violators.

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